


It's Hard To Confess To Someone Who's Dead

by Benfrosh



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: F/F, Love Confession, Post-Final Fantasy XIV: Heavensward, if i'm not allowed to write oc/chara fic in an mmo then where am i, it delights me to no end that the power of darkness is love, really really wanted to fit in "they're lesbians thancred" but not dice
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 21:30:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,557
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17815859
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Benfrosh/pseuds/Benfrosh
Summary: Y'shtola, finally having a spot of respite after the chaos that had enveloped her after her return, has been expecting Fa'leon to make a move for some time, and knew it could happen at any moment. Here is that moment.





	It's Hard To Confess To Someone Who's Dead

Y'shtola fell down into the plush armchair with an exaggerated sigh. One would have thought that with the efforts of the Scions focused on regrouping (Tataru's specialty and definitely not her own) and with Nidhogg's forces currently in hiding, she'd finally have some free time to herself. Ever since Fa'leon had showed up at the Waking Sands all those months ago, though, her life had become a whirlwind of activity, with secret plots and untoward enterprises coming to the fore with seemingly clockwork regularity. That had made moments like these all the more precious - some time by herself, to gather her energy and recenter herself. As she closed her eyes to take a deep calming breath, she considered asking one of the House Fortemps manservants to bring her some tea.

A knock at the study door, however, put an end to her quiet time. "Hello? You in there, Y'shtola?" came Fa'leon's voice from the other side.

Y'shtola smiled, despite herself. If anyone had the right to come disturb her, it was that Miq'ote that had stirred up so much. She was never boring to have around. "Come on in, Fa'leon. I was just resting a little."

Fa'leon slowly opened the door and gently closed it behind her. "Sorry if I'm interrupting your rest-"

Y'shtola waved her off. "You've done no such thing. It's not like these are my private chambers, after all. If I truly wanted privacy, I do have options."

Fa'leon beamed with joy as she came to sit in the other chair by Y'shtola, her tail curling up around her waist so she didn't crush it in the not-made-for-Miqo'tes cushions. "Thanks... I really do enjoy spending time with you, so I appreciate it."

"And I you," Y'shtola replied happily.

The two sat in silence for a time, enjoying the crackling of the roaring fire in the study holding back the persistent chill. Y'shtola was comfortable with letting that stand for some time - she knew that Fa'leon didn't come here for just rest. When she had finally been pulled back from the aetheric vortex of the Lifestream, Fa'leon had nearly broken her newly-remade bones in a giant desperate hug. Y'shtola thought back on what Fa'leon had said - "Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow. But sometime, when things have calmed down, there's something I've realized that I have to tell you. Promise you'll listen to me then?" That, plus dozens of little cues, clearly foretold what was to come as plain as the warmth on her face - a confession of love. She had been mentally rehearsing her response with a small corner of her brain since then, but she was in no rush to hurry it. She would let Fa'leon take her time, for once in her life.

"Hey, Y'shtola..." Fa'leon said, trailing off, her usual brash confidence nowhere to be found. "Can I ask you a question?" The brave warrior, normally so courageous and with a presence larger than her diminutive frame could possibly carry, now seemed meek and vulnerable. 

Y'shtola smiled mischievously. Here it comes. "Of course, Fa'leon. What's going on?"

"Are you... blind?"

Y'shtola blinked in surprise, but laughed it off before Fa'leon could notice any signs of shock. "No, of course I'm not blind," she countered, emphatically looking straight at Fa'leon's face as she did. "What in the world are you talking about?"

"I got a new haircut while you were gone, and you haven't commented on it once since we've seen each other."

Y'shtola carefully weighed her options. If she tried to guess what Fa'leon's new haircut was, she didn't have a chance of getting it right. The ability to sense by aether did little to help tell the difference in hair arrangements. If she tried to wave it off like she didn't care, that'd both be rude and do little to allay Fa'leon's suspicions - the fact that she lept to 'blind' rather than 'uncaring' meant that she was already too close to the truth for comfort. But if Fa'leon was on the trail already...

"What are you talking about? Your hair's the same as it always has been, isn't it? Don't tell me you trimmed off half an ilm and expect me to notice." It had to be a trick question. Y'shtola knew how much Fa'leon treasured her long hair, keeping it tied up in a ponytail to protect it during combat rather than get it trimmed down. There's no way she'd get it trimmed on a whim like that.

Fa'leon's aura dimmed in disappointment. "Yeah, I knew it. It wasn't a trick, Y'shtola. When we went into hiding in Ishgard, I got my hair cut off so people would be less likely to recognize me."

"Ah." Y'shtola sighed. "So the game's up, then. Yes, I've gone blind. My eyes have been so saturated by the light of the Lifestream that they'll never be able to see again, unfortunately." She shrugged. "I'm still able to see the movement of the aether in all things, so it hasn't been too much of an issue, and I was hoping to keep it hidden to avoid concerning you. I really will be fine."

"But you can't see my hair, though."

Y'shtola shook her head. "You are _entirely_ too radiant for me to make out minor details like that, I'm afraid."

Fa'leon hesitated for a moment before asking her next question. "... can I show you?"

Y'shtola tilted her head in confusion. "You're certainly welcome to try, but I don't see how - pardon the pun."

Rather than laugh at her wordplay, Fa'leon took Y'shtola's hand in her own, sending a small shock through her body at the feeling of Fa'leon's skin against hers, and wordlessly placed it on Fa'leon's head.

The first thing Y'shtola noticed was how soft Fa'leon's hair was. It felt like pillowy down beneath her fingers, gently parting at the slightest touch as she traced her fingers through. Fa'leon had indeed cut her ponytail off, shockingly - instead, the back was trimmed quite short, and the hair that had once fallen along the sides of her face was now pulled into a peek-a-boo style, covering her right eye, presumably to hide her uncommon blue and yellow split eyes. She could feel a slight difference in the hair over her eyes than the rest - the white streak that used to run at the ends of her hairs, presumably. 

"It's a tragedy, because from what I can tell your hair does look incredibly cute," Y'shtola commented as she delighted in just feeling Fa'leon, even if she couldn't see her. "Thank you for sharing it, Fa'leon. I really appreciate it."

"It's... not just that I wanted to share," Fa'leon continued, taking Y'shtola's hand once more and resting it on her cheek. Y'shtola could feel a blush rise to Fa'leon's cheek just as surely as it rose to her own. 

"... go on," Y'shtola finally managed to reply, a mere whisper as the breath was stolen from her.

"You... you're amazing, Y'shtola. Ever since I first met you, I was impressed with you. You're brave, smart, fun, _amazingly_ beautiful - I couldn't help but take notice of you from the start. But with everything being as busy as it was, I never really got to spend the time with you that I wanted to, and I wasn't exactly going to start bugging you during work."

Y'shtola nodded. Her attentions had definitely been focused elsewhere - any approach Fa'leon had made would certainly have been rebuffed. But after that time "in the waterway, when you risked everything to save me," Fa'leon said, interrupting and yet continuing Y'shtola's thoughts. "I honestly thought you died trying to save me, and I couldn't help but think of everything I missed - all the opportunities to get to know you better, spend time with you, learn to... love you," Fa'leon said, choking on her words, as a tear ran down her cheek and fell on Y'shtola's hand. "I thought I had lost it all, and now I don't want to lose it again. And I don't know if you feel the same way I do, and I don't want to place the burdens of these huge expectations on you, but... I have to at least know that I tried. I want to see what our relationship would be like, just to know that I didn't let that ship sail by without me."

Y'shtola said nothing, merely brushing the tears away. This was more familiar ground for her. 

"It doesn't have to be much. Just a date, or even dinner, or hells even brunch some time, I just really want the chance to-" 

Y'shtola cut her off with a finger to her lips, then, gently holding her chin, leaned in for a kiss. A long, slow, carefully measured kiss, mentally rehearsed to communicate the feelings she had for Fa'leon without words. One that showed that she thought much the same of her, and that she wanted all that and more.

As they finally parted, Y'shtola could sense Fa'leon glowing plain as day. "... so, I have an apartment over in the Mists when we get back. It's a lovely view from there - oh, well, I guess you wouldn't be able to tell," she added nervously, "but do you wanna come hang out there?"

Y'shtola smiled. "Absolutely, Leon."

"Sound like a date, Shtola," Fa'leon replied, a spring in her voice.


End file.
